the series that defined the decade and reinvented the medium
the 00s best first seasons
-CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION-
created by anthony e ZUIKER
without any doubt this show was the biggest hit of the decade; it is an iconic pop culture bit and international phenomenon.
the premise is so simple; it is simply another police procedural focusing primarily on one case per episode and subtly developing the main cast characters.
the premise's twist is perhaps the not-so-hidden science fiction elements clearly shown with every piece of gadgetry and other detective weaponry.
this show took detective story lines to a whole new level and it become both a franchise and the standard for other procedurals to follow.
it is undeniable its legacy and it has not been matched even by the most recent season of the series; even when i do agree that maybe a latter season came close to perfection.
the directing of this show is the true star; while the writing is fine [perhaps even very good; but let's not debate that] it is the [then][somehow] avant-garde mise-en-scene and [then] never-before-seen [in tv] special effects that made this show what it is.
the directing also raise the bar for the [then] controversial violence, we should not take for granted the fact that this show pretty much introduced blood to network television and its appeal clearly come from satisfying the same morbid desire that made reality tv as popular as well.
unfortunately this show has not aged well; while ratings still hold very strong [specially for a twelve year long series] the formula and the routine make this show less interesting today.
one should not forget the insane amount of [most likely false] trivia this show made us memorize and the unaffordable amount of technology it made us wish we own.
one should not forget how for so long we loved [or at least liked very much] WARRICK BROWN, GIL GRISSOM, GREG SANDERS, SARA SIDLE, NICK STOKES and CATHERINE WILLOWS.
CBS hit the lottery with this show, the second season was moved to thursdays ending up NBC's dominance [after years and years] on that time slot.
